Major Bruce H. Norton

Major Bruce H. 'Doc' Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, and an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines.

Serving as a navy corpsman from 1967-1972, he was assigned as a Force Recon Team member to both 3rd Force and 1st Force Reconnaissance Companies during the Vietnam War, participating in more than thirty long-range reconnaissance patrols from 1968-1970. Both 'jump' and SCUBA qualified, he was the only navy Corpsman designated as a Force Recon team leader and was decorated for heroism "under fire on numerous occasions" during his two tours there.

Doc was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1972 and three days later was enrolled in the Marine Platoon Leader's Course (PLC) Candidate at the College of Charleston, where he earned a BA in US History in 1974. Commissioned a Lieutenant of Marines upon graduation, he served at various "posts and stations" throughout the Corps to include duties as an infantry platoon leader, deep reconnaissance platoon leader, rifle company commander, operations and training officer, battalion executive officer, and at various joint staff positions.

Following his retirement in 1992, after twenty-four years of military service, he earned a Master's Degree in Military Sciences before becoming the Director of the Marine Corps' Command Museum, in San Diego, California. While there, he also taught military history courses at the University of San Diego.

In 1996, he was the recipient of the General Robert L. Denig Memorial Distinguished Service Award, presented to him by the United States Marine Corps' Combat Correspondence Association for his contributions as an author and Marine Corps historian.

Major Norton then went to the Citadel as a USMC Tactical Officer, and taught US History as an adjunct professor in Charleston, SC. In 2005, he arrived at Quantico and wrote doctrine for the Marine Corps, and currently works there.

He has written 9 books, and is working on #'s 10, and 11. Two books are E-books and three more are on the way, due for release by October, 2013.

He is an avid shooter, an NRA Instructor with Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun, and enjoys hunting whitetails and wild turkey when time permits.

"Doc" currently resides in Fredericksburg, VA. He has a son, Bruce H. Norton, II, and a daughter, Elizabeth A. Norton, who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

Major Bruce H. "Doc" Norton is an author and editor, who's books include:

1. "Force Recon Diary, 1969: The Riveting, True-to-Life Account of Survival and Death in One of the Most Highly Skilled" ... by Major Bruce H. Norton (Mar 31, 1991)

2. "Force Recon Diary, 1970" by Major Bruce H. Norton (May 23, 1992)

3. "Stingray" by Major Bruce H. Norton (Aug 1, 2000)

4. "One Tough Marine" by Major Bruce H. Norton and Donald Hamblen (Aug 29, 1994)

5. "Sergeant Major, U.S. Marines: The Biography of Sergeant Major Maurice J. Jacques, USMC" by Major Bruce H. Norton and Sergeant Major Maurice J. Jacques (May 31, 1995)

6. "I Am Alive!: A United States Marine's Story of Survival in a World war II Japanese POW Camp" by Charles R. Jackson and Major Bruce H. Norton (Jun 3, 2003)

7. "Grown Gray in War: The Len Maffioli Story" by B.H. Norton; Len Maffioli; Maj Norton (1997)

8. "Encyclopedia of American War Heroes" Edited by Bruce H. Norton

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